In a significant development, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been lodged in the Madras High Court, urging the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to extend the civil services examinations to include all 22 regional languages enumerated in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. Filed by S. Balamurugan of Madurai, the petition contends that the current practice of setting question papers exclusively in Hindi and English is discriminatory, providing an undue advantage to Hindi speakers. The case is scheduled for a hearing on December 6 before Chief Justice Sanjay V. Gangapurwala and Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy.
The petitioner, S. Balamurugan, a 45-year-old resident of Madurai, highlights that the civil services examination, conducted by the UPSC, attracted a massive pool of 11.35 lakh candidates in 2022. Of this, 5.73 lakh participated in the preliminary examination, and 13,090 proceeded to the descriptive answer-type main examinations.
However, the notification for the 2023 examinations indicates that question papers for the preliminary stage will be exclusively in Hindi and English, omitting other languages from the eighth schedule. The petitioner argues that this practice perpetuates discrimination and denies equal employment opportunities. The preliminary examination, being language-specific, disadvantages candidates not proficient in Hindi or English. This, the petitioner contends, skews the competition and undermines the principles of equal opportunity in employment.
The counsel for Balamurugan asserts that restricting examinations to English and Hindi creates an environment where candidates from Hindi-speaking states gain an advantage over those from non-Hindi-speaking states. The PIL emphasizes the necessity of providing a level playing field for all candidates, regardless of linguistic background.
The case papers have been directed to be served on the Central government standing counsel, and the case will be heard on December 6.
